He's the mayor of his own make-believe town. He once took a spin in a dog-washing machine (and videotaped it). He's been known to dress up like Danica Patrick, and he does a spot-on impersonation of Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen.

But for James Hinchcliffe, humor is more than a personality trait. It's what makes an entire IndyCar team go fast.

"As racers, we all have the coolest jobs in the world," Hinchcliffe, 26, told USA TODAY Sports as he began preparation for Sunday's season opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. "It's a fortunate position to be in. To spend all of your time being worried or miserable about it doesn't make sense. I try to keep it light so everyone enjoys it."

Everyone appreciates it, too. Hinchcliffe's Andretti Autosport crew enjoys his clever banter over the radio, often quoting his best lines after each race.

"He doesn't think it's all about him," said Dave Sharpley, Hinchcliffe's crew chief. "He knows that without us, he's in trouble, and we know we're in trouble without him. He has an appreciation for us that shows through. He definitely keeps it quite light as far as his demeanor and always tells us how thankful he is for the effort the boys all put in. That for us makes it lot more worth it."

A native of Toronto, Hinchcliffe attended four elementary schools in six years, discovering that humor made each transition easier. "I learned early on that the best way to break the ice was with humor," he said. "I think that's where all of this originated."

By the time he was 20, Hinchcliffe had three seasons of Formula Atlantic Championship Series on his resume. The following year, he was with Sam Schmidt's team in Firestone Indy Lights. By 2011, he was the IZOD IndyCar series rookie of the year after finishing 12th in the championship for Newman/Haas Racing. In 2012, he replaced Patrick at Andretti Autosport.

Before his first race in the GoDaddy car, Hinchcliffe wore a wig of long black hair during driver introductions at St. Petersburg. The target of the joke, he said, was himself.

"I wanted to make sure the joke was on me and not her," he said. "I saw her not long after that, and she had a good sense of humor about. It was in no way a jab at her; we're on the same team. It was good that she took it that way, because that's the way I meant it."

James Hinchcliffe impersonated Danica Patrick during driver introductions for the 2012 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.(Photo: Paul Webb, AP)

This year, Hinchcliffe is intent on his first victory in the IZOD IndyCar Series, but he's not setting specific goals.

"As a racer, there are so many things you can't control," he said. "You can drive well enough to win but have a crash or a mechanical problem. You can't really predict racing, so you really can't set specific goals. For me, the biggest thing is eliminating mistakes. If we can eliminate mistakes, we're going to be in contention."

Sharpley is convinced – and he's not alone in IndyCar racing – that Hinchcliffe is on the verge of a breakthrough. "He's an absolute race driver," Sharpley said. "He's not afraid. He is definitely going to win races."

When Hinchcliffe appears in victory lane for the first time, the jokes will abound. He is the self-proclaimed and self-appointed Mayor of Hinchtown on his website, www.hinchtown.com. His bio in the IndyCar media guide reads: "He enjoys long walks on the beach, flannel shirts, maple syrup and dogsled racing. 'I'm also a competitive lumberjack in my spare time,' he jokes."

"Humor isn't something I do super consciously," he says. "To be honest, it's just how I live my life. I can make fun of myself better than anybody else. I think the guys on the team can relate to it and connect with me a little bit better because of it. The important part of it is that it's not an act. It's just the way I am."

One of the most crucial aspects of 2013 for Hinchcliffe is that he's returning to a team for a second year, something that's never happened in his career.

"That says more about me than it does about the teams I raced for," Hinchcliffe said. "I feel like the Taylor Swift of racing."